Will probably be there the week of July 4th (daycare is closed) so might as well get away.

Any experiences at the Hilton Lac Lemy? We have a ton of Honors points so FREE is always good! I know we can't really take advantage of the casino part with 2 toddlers but figure the service and accommodations will be nice! (and view!)

Is the parking/driving situation easy to get around in the downtown area?

Saunders Farm Mazes? http://www.saundersfarm.com/pages/MAZE-HOME.html

Are the roads/sidewalks fairly smooth? Lots of stairs? We will be pushing at least 1 stroller --and I recall how hard it was getting around Montreal and QC with the 1 yr old with the stroller! We either have the 1 big double stroller or we could do 2 smaller ones. They both take naps and will sleep anywhere so we can tour a museum while they snooze!

Ottawa is very walkable - what was the problem with pushing a stroller in Montreal?

I've been in Old Montgreal myself with a stroller and a tippy new walking kid, and the cobblestones are a pain, figuratively and litterally.

That said, Ottawa is better.

There are hills, but lots of old civil servants who have prompted their friends in government to make th city very wheel-friendly, whether for grandchildren of the oldsters, or the oldsters themselves in wheelchairs and with walkers.

The Museum of Civilization in Hull has a children's section that is good for kids so young they can barely crawl, to kids ready for school. Your toddlers will think this is the highlight of their trip.

They may enjoy the airplane museum, and probably would enjoy the Royal Canadian Mounted Police Musical Ride, wiht lots of horses.

Zak's Restaurant is child-friendly, with food fromt he 50's. It's in the By-Town Market area.

All in all, Ottawa's a great city for little kids. My son spent a lot of time there from one to eight years old.

BAK

We stayed downtown at the Hilton Montreal and depending upon the weather we would try to take the "underground" and it would be great for one section but then lots of stairs and weird corridors! The elevators or other options for lots of places were very awkward even in public buildings. I expected QC's and Montreals older section of cobblestones to be a challenge but figured the other areas and getting to the subway easier!

I don't know how handicapped people in the city get around if we had difficulties with a stroller.

There are no cobblestones in Ottawa that I am aware of, and nearly all public places have alternatives to stairs so that your stroller(s) should not be a problem at all.

The Hilton Lac Leamy is a first-class hotel in an attractive location (next to Leamy Lake park), but it is across the river in Gatineau and a bit of a way from downtown (not walking distance). However it is only a short drive and there is reasonable parking available.

The Children's Museum which is part of the Canadian Museum of Civilization in Gatineau is as BAK indicated certainly worth visiting. However you shouldn't miss the CMC itself--the Great Hall, the First Peoples Hall and the Canada Hall are all stunning.

http://www.civilization.ca/cmc/index...rticleID=16451

BAK also mentioned the RCMP Musical Ride which is a very colourful performance of precision horsemanship. Unfortunately, by the week of July 4, the Ride will likely have left Ottawa for its annual summer tour. if you can be in Ottawa for July 1, you can see the Ride perform on Parliament Hill as part of the Canada Day celebrations. Indeed, Canada Day is a great time to be in Ottawa, as the capital is given over to a huge party with free concerts and other events culminating in a huge fireworks show on the Hill.

Depending on what week you are in Ottawa, you will either be there for the last week of the Jazz Festival or the first of the Blues Festival. Both attract top class artists and have a number of venues around the city.

For more information here are a couple of helpful websites:

http://www.capcan.ca/bins/index.asp

http://www.ottawatourism.ca/en

Hilton @casino du Lac-Leamy is absolutely great hotel. They have an ourdoors heated swimming pool with hot tubs, so you can enjoy yourself there even in the winter. Great rooms, great views.

We will probably arrive on Friday or Saturday ~27th June and stay thru the following Friday (July 3rd).

Are the Rideau Canal tours good or would we do better to just walk the canal on our own?

The Steam Train to Wakefield might be exciting for our son.

Thanks again! We got the little ones Passport last week so we are good to go!

How old is the little guy?

There's a children's section in the museum of civilization in Hull, across the river, that he will love if he's over two and under ten.

If he's under two, there's even things for him at that museum.

You''re on the right track (sorry) in thinking about the train trip.

Airplane nuseum might be particularly intresting, too.

Look for Zak's restaurant in the Bytown Market -- looks like the 50's and will have food kids like and think is fun. (adults like it, too)

LAst time I tok a bot trip, it was on the Ottawa River, not the canal, and it was very enjoyable. Nice scenery, and interesting buildings to see on each side of the river.

My son spent a lot of time in Ottawa from one to ten years old (gramma lived there) and he liked it. Walking around PArliament Hill and running on the grass is fun for a little kid
BAK

With a youngster, I would take the canal boat tour. It's much less tiring and you'll see much more.

The Steam Train is back in business again and it makes a great excursion. Wakefield, where it turns around, is quite a pretty village and you will have time to look around before the return.

As you will be in Ottawa a week earlier than you had previously planned, you will be able to see the RCMP Musical Ride. It leaves town on 30 June so it won't be on Parliament Hill for Canada Day, but until then it will be performing its Sunset Ceremony every night from 26 June at the RCMP Barracks in Rockcliffe (just outside downtown). Admission is free.
http://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/mr-ce/suns...uscule-eng.htm

The Canada Day calendar has yet to be released, but you can gather from last year's events that there is much to see and do in Ottawa/Gatineau on 1 July.

http://www.ottawakiosk.com/canada_day.html

You'll also be in town during the Jazz Festival--many of the concerts are outdoors. If you're interested in jazz, check out the schedule

http://www.ottawajazzfestival.com/e/index.html

Enjoy your visit!

Thanks BAK...the little guy will be 3 in a month! We took him on a Thomas the Train ride last year for his 2nd bday. He liked everything but the loud train whistle! Our remedy was to sit farthest away from the engine.

I am so glad you posted on the Musical Ride laverendrye because I was having trouble finding the details! It was on my list of places to call for more info! I was wondering why they haven't posted any schedule for the Canada Day festivities.

I really hate that we are leaving before they start the Light Show on Parliament Hill. Will the fireworks be visible from a lot of places on July 1st? The 3 yr old likes to see them but the sound scares him a lot! Wasn't sure if there were good vantage points across the river or if we could view them from the Hilton. It is hard to tell from a map how far apart things really are/visibility.

If you have a room in the Hilton facing the Ottawa River, you will certainly have a very good vantage point for the fireworks right there. Otherwise, I would suggest you watch from the terrace and park at the Museum of Civilization, or from the nearby Jacques Cartier Park. There will be lots of people watching there, but it won't be nearly as crowded as on Parliament Hill or in downtown Ottawa.

If you haven't yet left for Ottawa, you might be interested in some of these free events at the National Arts Centre on Canada Day

http://tinyurl.com/ld9r4s

Enjoy your visit

alise007 - we will be in Ottawa for 3 days over Canada Day too. Maybe we will see you!

tC

We had a wonderful time in Ottawa during the Canada Day festivities. Our stay at Les Suites was very nice. The weather was forecast to be thunderstorms and showers for the entire time - and it did rain a few times, but it didn't affect any of our planned activities. I would encourage others to consider Canada Day in Ottawa as a destination.

tC